Little Boy
by The Goddess Bastet
Summary: An essay that I did for school. Jack's meeting with a psychologist after the rescue from the island.


Name: Nazneen Paruk  
  
Class: D2  
  
Setwork Book: Lord of the Flies by William Golding  
  
Essay: Write down your version of the interview Ralph or Jack would have had, about 6 months after their return to civilization, with a clinical psycologist, wherein they give their explanation/account of what happened on the island.  
  
Length: 1 1/2 to 2 pages in length (A4 size)  
  
Due in: 6th May 2002  
  
  
  
The psycologist sighed inwardly as she struggled to remain calm. The boy in front of her had refused to co-operate in every way possible. After their rescue, the government had ordered that every one of the island- stranded survivors be given a thorough physical and mental examination after their ordeal. The boy named Ralph had opened up almost immediately, and had revealed the horrible tale between sobs and outpouring tears. She had been shocked and often revolted by the events that Ralph had painfully described; but not surprised. She had learnt about the darkness that embraces man's soul. She had even been trained to deal with it. In theory. But how does one deal with a young boy who killed without a shred of remorse? How do you help him if he refuses to be helped?  
  
"Jack? Please talk to me."  
  
"I don't want to talk about it."  
  
"I know what happened on the island. Your friend Ralph told me."  
  
Jack's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Then why do you want to hear it again? Besides, Ralph isn't my friend!"  
  
"I want to hear your side of the story, Jack."  
  
"There's nothing to hear. Ralph was the leader. The hero. It's his word against mine."  
  
"Were you jealous of Ralph?"  
  
Jack snorted in disgust.  
  
"I was better. There was nothing to be jealous of."  
  
"If you were better, why was he chosen as chief?"  
  
"Because the others thought he was nicer than me."  
  
"Do you agree with that?"  
  
Jack shrugged.  
  
"In the end they came to me anyway. I think that shows that they changed their mind."  
  
"You tortured the twins into staying with you. Do you think that makes you a nice person?"  
  
"Everybody else came because they wanted to. They wanted meat."  
  
"Are you a good hunter?"  
  
Jack smiled, and his facial features relaxed. He spoke as though he were chatting about a cricket match.  
  
"When you're hunting, it's just you and the prey. The sun could be roasting your skin or the thorns can be scratching you until you bleed, but you don't care. And when you catch the pig, and you know that everyone will have fresh meat thanks to you...it's all worth it."  
  
He sighed.  
  
"I'd do anything to do that again."  
  
"I understand that you found a way to disguise yourself?"  
  
"Yes, to fool the pigs."  
  
"How did you feel when youy put on your disguise?"  
  
Jack didn't have to think about his answer.  
  
"Free. Like I was anyone that I wanted to be."  
  
"Anyone but Jack."  
  
He nodded mutely.  
  
"Do you miss the island, Jack?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Did you want to be rescued? Did you want to come home to civilization?"  
  
Jack looked away and refused to meet her gaze.  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"The island was home. I belonged there. The others looked up to me. I was their chief, their provider of food, their defender against the Beast..."  
  
"The Beast? Did you believe in it, Jack? Did you truely believe that there was a beast or did you just use the boys' fear in order for them to serve you?"  
  
"The Beast was real! I saw it with my own eyes! So did Ralph and Roger and Samneric!"  
  
"Did Piggy believe in the Beast?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Is that why you killed him?"  
  
"I didn't kill him! That was Roger!"  
  
"Did you think that Simon was the Beast?"  
  
"Yes...at the time"  
  
"So you killed him?"  
  
"We had to. We were scared!"  
  
"But later, you claimed that it was impossible to kill the Beast. Did you knowingly kill an innocent boy?"  
  
"I didn't know! I swear...I didn't see him. I saw the Beast. We all did."  
  
"What about Piggy? Did they kill him just because he didn't believe?"  
  
"Piggy was a threat. He was too clever."  
  
"I think that Piggy was a wise fellow. How did that make him a threat?"  
  
"He stood up to me."  
  
"So did Ralph."  
  
"Yes, but Ralph listened to Piggy. Not to me. It was always "Piggy said this, Piggy said that...". When he died, the conch shattered. All I know is...I felt glad that they were destroyed. Both of them."  
  
"Do you understand the significance of the conch, Jack?"  
  
"Rules?"  
  
"Well, yes. Law and order. Parliament. Freedom of speech. Democracy. Do you understand what I'm saying?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"The conch was civilisation. When it was destroyed, every one of you were reduced to being savage animals."  
  
She saw the anguish in his eyes and understood.  
  
"You feel guilty, don't you, Jack?"  
  
"I didn't mean for it to happen." he whispered.  
  
She stood up from her chair and went over to him. She placed a hand on his shaking shoulders, unsure on how to comfort him.  
  
"I just wanted to be Chief. That's all."  
  
She kneeled down and held him, letting him cry with harsh racking sobs. He may have been a killer, but at the end of the day; he was just a little boy who had gotten horribly lost and needed someone to guide him home. 


End file.
